Sustainable Architecture Module:

Introduction to
Sustainable Design

Written by
Jong-Jin Kim, Assistant Professor of Architecture,
and Brenda Rigdon, Project Intern

College of Architecture and Urban Planning

The University of Michigan

Published by
National Pollution Prevention Center for Higher Education,
430 E. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1115
734.764.1412 • fax: 734.647.5841 • nppc@umich.edu
website: www.umich.edu/~nppcpub/

This compendium was made possible in part by a grant from the 3M

Corporation. These materials may be freely copied for educational purposes.

Introduction to Sustainable Design December 1998 Sustainable Design • 1

2 • Sustainable Design December 1998 Introduction to Sustainable Design
 Contents
List of Figures ............................................................................. 5

Fundamentals
Changing our Definitions of Growth and Progress.................5
Resource Consumption and Environmental Pollution............5
Sustainability in Architecture.................................................. 6

Principles of Sustainable Design

Principle 1: Economy of Resources....................................... 9
Principle 2: Life Cycle Design .............................................. 11
Principle 3: Humane Design ................................................ 14
Summary .............................................................................. 15

Methods for Achieving Sustainable Design

Economy of Resources........................................................ 16
Energy Conservation.................................................. 16
Water Conservation.................................................... 20
Materials Conservation .............................................. 21
Life Cycle Design ................................................................. 22
Pre-Building Phase..................................................... 22
Building Phase............................................................ 24
Post-Building Phase ................................................... 25
Humane Design.................................................................... 27
Preservation fo Natural Conditions ............................ 27
Urban Design and Site Planning................................ 27
Design for Human Comfort ........................................ 28

Sustainable Design Bibliography......................... 29

Sustainable Design Annotated Bibliography ......33

Introduction to Sustainable Design December 1998 Sustainable Design • 3

 List of Figures
Figure 1 Income vs. energy consumption............................6

Figure 2 Income vs. water consumption..............................6

Figure 3. Income vs. pollutant production ............................6

Figure 4 Framework for sustainable architecture................8

Figure 5 Material-flow diagram ........................................... 9

Figure 6 Conventional model of the building life cycle......11

Figure 7 Sustainable building life cycle ............................ 11

Figure 8 Ecological elements of site and building .............13

Figure 9 Methods for “Economy of Resources”.................17

Figure 10 Methods for “Life Cycle Design” ..........................23

Figure 11 Methods for “Humane Design” ........................... 26

4 • Sustainable Design December 1998 Introduction to Sustainable Design

Fundamentals
Changing our Definitions of Growth and Progress

How do we measure economic success? Traditionally, we

measure Gross National Product (GNP), which favors any
economic activities and production, regardless of their true
benefits and effect on long-term societal well-being. Even
consumption, demolition, and waste that require further
production are credited to a higher GNP. In industrialized,
capitalistic societies, consumption is regarded as a virtue.

However, realizing the environmental threats, real or potential,

to the quality of life, environmental movements have begun
in virtually all sectors of industrialized countries, including
business, manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, and
architecture. Researchers are developing and refining
methods of analyzing the true cost of an economic activity
over its entire life cycle.

Developing countries tend to model their economic infra-

structure after those of their industrialized counterparts.
Today, economic activities in developing countries around
the world, Pacific Rim countries in particular, are far more
noticeable than two or three decades ago, and their share of
the world economy is increasing. All quantitative economic
indices such as per capita income, GNP, amount of foreign
trade, and the amount of building construction indicate that
their economies are strong and growing rapidly.

Measuring a country’s GNP does not account for the loss of

environmental quality — and quality of life — attributed to
industrialization. In the United States alone, billions of dollars
have been spent cleaning up an environment subjected to
uncontrolled development. The ecological havoc created by
the former Soviet Union is only now beginning to be fully
understood. Developing countries would do well to learn
from these situations, not emulate them.

Resource Consumption and Environmental Pollution

Resource consumption and economic status have a strong

correlation. As the income level of a society increases, so does
its resource consumption. This is true for societies of virtually
any size, be they families, cities, or entire countries.

Introduction to Sustainable Design December 1998 Sustainable Design • 5

 The correlation between per-capita income and energy
Per Capita Energy Consumption (M-Btus/yr)

400
Canada consumption of various countries demonstrates this trend. As
USA
shown in Figure 1, industrial countries with higher incomes
300 consume more energy per capita than developing countries.
Among industrialized countries, the energy intensity of
200 Germany
Canada and the United States is the highest, while Japan’s is
UK
Japan
much lower. This implies that it is plausible for a society to
N Korea
France
Italy
establish resource-efficient social and economic infrastructures
100

Korea
while raising its economic status. A society (household, com-
Hong Kong munity, city, or country) with such an infrastructure will be
0
0 10000 20000 30000
less susceptible to resource shortages, more reliable by itself,
Per-Capita Income (US$/yr) and thus more sustainable in the future.

Figure 1: Correlations between The correlation between per-capita income and per-capita
per-capita incomes and per- water consumption reveals a similar pattern (see Figure 2),
capita energy consumption
as does the emission of environmental pollutants to the
levels of selected industrialized
and developing countries. [Source: atmosphere (see Figure 3). Developing countries’ energy
Herman Daly, Steady-State Economics use, water use, and share of global environmental pollution
(Washington: Island Press, 1991).] is expected to increase.

Sustainability in Architecture
1500 The World Commission on Environment and Development
USA has put forth a definition of “sustainability” as
Canada
Per Capita Water Use (gal/day)

meeting the needs of the present without

1000 compromising the ability of future generations
USSR
to meet their own needs.
Italy
— From Our Common Future
Japan (London: Oxford University Press, 1987).
Mexico France
500
Germany This definition of sustainability does not specify the ethical
UK
roles of humans for their everlasting existence on the planet.
Korea
It also fails to embrace the value of all other constituents
0 participating in the global ecosystem. The need for finding
0 10000 20000 30000

Per-Capita Income (US$/yr)

long-terms solutions that warrant continuing human existence
and well-being is far more compelling than that of finding
Figure 2: Correlations between a proper terminology to describe the human need. In this
per-capita incomes and per-capita
water consumptions of selected respect, the debate on the terms “green,” “sustainable,” or
industrialized and developing “ecological” architecture is not terribly important.
countries. [Source: Herman Daly,
Steady-State Economics (Washington:
Island Press, 1991).]

6 • Sustainable Design December 1998 Introduction to Sustainable Design

Architecture is one of the most conspicuous forms of economic
activity. It is predicted that the pattern of architectural resource
USA
intensity (the ratio of per-capita architectural resource

Per Capita Pollutant Production

20
consumption to per-capita income) will generally follow the
Canada
same patterns as shown in Figure 1, 2, and 3. A country’s

(CO2 Eq.-ton/yr)
economic development will necessitate more factories, office UK Germany
USSR
buildings, and residential buildings. For a household, the Brazil
growth of incomes will lead to a desire for a larger house 10
Italy France Japan
with more expensive building materials, furnishings and
home appliances; more comfortable thermal conditions in
Korea
interior spaces; and a larger garden or yard. China

During a building’s existence, it affects the local and global 0 10000 20000 30000

Per-Capita Income
Per Capita Income(US$/yr)
($/yr)
environments via a series of interconnected human activities
and natural processes. At the early stage, site development and Figure 3: Correlations between
construction influence indigenous ecological characteristics. per-capita incomes and per-capita
Though temporary, the influx of construction equipment and pollutant production of selected
industrialized and developing
personnel onto a building site and process of construction countries. [Source: Herman Daly,
itself disrupt the local ecology. The procurement and manu- Steady-State Economics (Washington:
facturing of materials impact the global environment. Once Island Press, 1991).]
built, building operation inflicts long-lasting impact on the
environment. For instance, the energy and water used by its
inhabitants produce toxic gases and sewage; the process of
extracting, refining, and transporting all the resources used
in building operation and maintenance also have numerous
effects on the environment.

Architectural professionals have to accept the fact that as a

society’s economic status improves, its demand for architectural
resources — land, buildings or building products, energy,
and other resources — will increase. This in turn increases
the combined impact of architecture on the global ecosystem,
which is made up of inorganic elements, living organisms,
and humans. The goal of sustainable design is to find
architectural solutions that guarantee the well-being and
coexistence of these three constituent groups.

Introduction to Sustainable Design December 1998 Sustainable Design • 7

 Principles of Sustainable Design
To educate architects to meet this goal of coexistence, we have
developed a conceptual framework. The three levels of the
framework (Principles, Strategies, and Methods) correspond to
the three objectives of architectural environmental education:
creating environmental awareness, explaining the building
ecosystem, and teaching how to design sustainable buildings.
The overall conceptual diagram for sustainable design is
shown in Figure 4.

We propose three principles of sustainability in architecture.

Economy of Resources is concerned with the reduction, reuse,
and recycling of the natural resources that are input to a
building. Life Cycle Design provides a methodology for
analyzing the building process and its impact on the environ-
ment. Humane Design focuses on the interactions between
humans and the natural world. These principles can provide
a broad awareness of the environmental impact, both local
and global, of architectural consumption.

Figure 4: Conceptual framework SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND POLLUTION PREVENTION

for Sustainable Design and
Pollution Prevention in Principles
Architecture.
Economy of Life Cycle Humane
Resources Design Design

Strategies

Energy Pre-Building Preservation

Conservation Phase of Natural
Conditions

Water Building Urban Design

Conservation Phase Site Planning

Material Post-Building Design for

Conservation Phase Human Comfort

Methods

8 • Sustainable Design December 1998 Introduction to Sustainable Design

Each of these principles embody a unique set of strategies.
Studying these strategies leads students to more thorough
understanding of architecture’s interaction with the greater
environment. This allows them to further disaggregate and
analyze specific methods architects can apply to reduce the
environmental impact of the buildings they design.

Figure 5: The input and output

MATERIAL FLOW IN THE BUILDING ECOSYSTEM
streams of resource flow.
Upstream Building
Building Downstream
Building
BuildingMaterials
Materials Used Materials
Energy Combustion Byproducts
Water Graywater Sewage
Consumet Goods
Consumer Goods Recycleable Materials
Solar Radiation Wasted Head
Wind Polluted Air
Rain Groundwater

Principle 1: Economy of Resources

By economizing resources, the architect reduces the use of

nonrenewable resources in the construction and operation of
buildings. There is a continuous flow of resources, natural
and manufactured, in and out of a building. This flow begins
with the production of building materials and continues
throughout the building’s life span to create an environment for
sustaining human well-being and activities. After a building’s
useful life, it should turn into components for other buildings.

When examining a building, consider two streams of resource

flow (see Figure 5). Upstream, resources flow into the building
as input to the building ecosystem. Downstream, resources
flow out of the building as output from the building ecosystem.
In a long run, any resources entered into a building ecosystem
will eventually come out from it. This is the law of resource
flow conservation.

For a given resource, its forms before entry to a building and

after exit will be different. This transformation from input to
output is caused by the many mechanical processes or human
interventions rendered to the resources during their use in
buildings. The input elements for the building ecosystem are

Introduction to Sustainable Design December 1998 Sustainable Design • 9

 diverse, with various forms, volumes, and environmental
implications.

The three strategies for the economy of resources principle are

energy conservation, water conservation, and material conservation.
Each focuses on a particular resource necessary for building
construction and operation.

Energy Conservation
After construction, a building requires a constant flow of energy
input during its operation. The environmental impacts of
energy consumption by buildings occur primarily away from
the building site, through mining or harvesting energy sources
and generating power. The energy consumed by a building
in the process of heating, cooling, lighting, and equipment
operation cannot be recovered.

The type, location, and magnitude of environmental impacts

of energy consumptions in buildings differ depending on the
type of energy delivered. Coal-fired electric power plants
emit polluting gases such as SO2 , CO2 , CO, and NO x into the
atmosphere. Nuclear power plants produce radioactive
wastes, for which there is currently no permanent management
solution. Hydropower plants each require a dam and a
reservoir which can hold a large body of water; construction
of dams results in discontinuance of river ecosystems and the
loss of habitats for animals and plants.

Water Conservation
A building requires a large quantity of water for the purposes
of drinking, cooking, washing and cleaning, flushing toilets,
irrigating plants, etc.. All of this water requires treatments
and delivery, which consume energy. The water that exits
the building as sewage must also be treated.

Material Conservation
A range of building materials are brought onto building sites.
The influx of building materials occurs primarily during the
construction stage. The waste generated by the construction
and installation process is significant. After construction,
a low-level flow of materials continues in for maintenance,
replacement, and renovation activities. Consumer goods
flow into the building to support human activities. All of
these materials are eventually output, either to be recycled
or dumped in a landfill.

10 • Sustainable Design December 1998 Introduction to Sustainable Design

Principle 2: Life Cycle Design

The conventional model of the building life cycle is a linear

process consisting of four major phases: design; construction;
operation and maintenance; and demolition (see Figure 6).
The problem with this model is that it is too narrowly defined:
it does not address environmental issues (related to the pro-
curement and manufacturing of building materials) or waste
management (reuse and recycling of architectural resources).

Figure 6: Conventional model of

Operation & the building life cycle.
Design ➞ Construction ➞ Maintenance
➞ Demolition

The second principle of sustainable architecture is life cycle

design (LCD). This “cradle-to-grave” approach recognizes
environmental consequences of the entire life cycle of architec-
tural resources, from procurement to return to nature. LCD is
based on the notion that a material transmigrates from one
form of useful life to another, with no end to its usefulness.

For the purpose of conceptual clarity, the life cycle of a building

can be categorized into three phases: pre-building, building, and
post-building, as shown in Figure 7. These phases are connected,
and the boundaries between them are not obvious. The phases
can be developed into LCD strategies that focus on minimizing
the environmental impact of a building. Analyzing the building
processes in each of these three phases provides a better under-
standing of how a building’s design, construction, operation,
and disposal affect the larger ecosystem.

Pre-Building Phase Figure 7: The sustainable building

life cycle.
Nature Extraction

Processing

Manufacturing

Transportation Building Phase

Post-Building Phase
Construction
Waste
Management Operation and
Maintenance

Recycle

Reuse

Introduction to Sustainable Design December 1998 Sustainable Design • 11

 Pre-Building Phase
This phase includes site selection, building design, and building
material processes, up to but not including installation. Under
the sustainable-design strategy, we examine the environmental
consequences of the structure’s design, orientation, impact on
the landscape, and materials used.

The procurement of building materials impacts the environ-

ment: harvesting trees could result in deforestation; mining
mineral resources (iron for steel; bauxite for aluminum; sand,
gravel, and limestone for concrete) disturbs the natural envi-
ronment; even the transport of these materials can be a highly
polluting activity, depending on their weight and distance
from the site. The manufacturing of building products also
requires energy and creates environmental pollution: for
example, a high level of energy is required to manufacture
steel or aluminum products.

Building Phase
This phase refers to the stage of a building’s life cycle when a
building is physically being constructed and operated. In the
sustainable-design strategy, we examine the construction and
operation processes for ways to reduce the environmental
impact of resource consumption; we also consider long-term
health effects of the building environment on its occupants.

Post-Building Phase
This phase begins when the useful life of a building has ended.
In this stage, building materials become resources for other
buildings or waste to be returned to nature. The sustainable-
design strategy focuses on reducing construction waste (which
currently comprises 60% of the solid waste in landfills1) by
recycling and reusing buildings and building materials.

For more information on this topic, see Recycling and Reuse

of Building Materials. This “Sustainable Architecture” module
is available for a small fee from the Center for Sustainable
Systems (formerly the NPPC; see the front page of this document
for contact information) or free of charge on our website:
www.umich.edu/~nppcpub/resources/compendia/architecture.html

1
Sim Van der Ryn and Peter Calthorpe, Sustainable Communities
(San Francisco: Sierra Club Books, 1986).

12 • Sustainable Design December 1998 Introduction to Sustainable Design

Site and Building Interactions
The LCD concept calls for consideration of the environmental
consequences of buildings in all three phases of the life cycle.
Each phase of building life cycle is associated with two groups
of ecological elements: site and building (see Figure 8). The
principal domain of architectural design is in the building
phase, but sustainable building can be achieved by finding
ways to minimize environmental impacts during all three
phases of building life cycle.
SITE: Elements of site ecology BUILDING: Natural or Figure 8: Ecological elements of
that exist within or in the vicinity manufactured resources, Site and Building associated with
of a building site, including sun- such as building materials, the building life-cycle phases.
light, wind, precipitation, water water, or energy ...
table, soil, flora, fauna, etc. ...

... before construction. ... before they arrive at the site.

... from the time construction ... from the time they arrive
begins through the duration of at the site for installation or
the building’s useful life. operation though the duration
of the building’s useful life.

... after the building’s useful life. ... after the building’s useful life.

Introduction to Sustainable Design December 1998 Sustainable Design • 13

 Principle 3: Humane Design

Humane design is the third, and perhaps the most important,

principle of sustainable design. While economy of resources
and life cycle design deal with efficiency and conservation,
humane design is concerned with the livability of all constitu-
ents of the global ecosystem, including plants and wildlife.
This principle arises from the humanitarian and altruistic goal
of respecting the life and dignity of fellow living organisms.
Further examination reveals that this principle is deeply
rooted in the need to preserve the chain elements of the
ecosystems that allow human survival.

In modern society, more than 70% of a person’s lifespan is spent

indoors. An essential role of architecture is to provide built
environments that sustain occupants’ safety, health, physio-
logical comfort, psychological well-being, and productivity.

Because environmental quality is intangible, its importance

has often been overlooked in the quest for energy and envi-
ronmental conservation, which sometimes seemed to mean
“shivering in the dark.” Compounding the problem, many
building designers have been preoccupied with style and
form-making, not seriously considering environmental
quality in and around their built environments .

Remember the performance factor of design. When a product

saves energy, does it perform as well as what it is replacing?
And how does it affect the performance of building occupants?
For instance, early fluorescent lighting systems were more
efficient than their incandescent counterparts; however, some
fluorescents were known to buzz. The bulb might save $30
in annual energy costs, but if the noise irritated the employee
working nearby, the employee’s resulting drop in productivity
could cost the employer a lot more, thereby wiping out any
financial benefits gained from lighting energy conservation.

A general rule of thumb in such comparisons is that the annual

energy bill of a typical office building amounts to around five
hours of employee labor cost; therefore, any building energy
conservation strategy that annually reduces productivity by
more than five hours per employee defeats its purpose. This
is not to say that energy conservation can’t be financially
beneficial, just that it should be kept in holistic perspective,
taking other pertinent factors into account.

14 • Sustainable Design December 1998 Introduction to Sustainable Design

The following three strategies for humane design focus on
enhancing the coexistence between buildings and the greater
environment, and between buildings and their occupants,

Preservation of Natural Conditions

An architect should minimize the impact of a building on its
local ecosystem (e.g., existing topography, plants, wildlife).

Urban Design and Site Planning

Neighborhoods, cities, and entire geographic regions can
benefit from cooperative planning to reduce energy and
water demands. The result can be a more pleasant urban
environment, free of pollution and welcoming to nature.

Human Comfort
As discussed previously, sustainable design need not
preclude human comfort. Design should enhance the work
and home environments. This can improve productivity,
reduce stress, and positively affect health and well-being.

Summary

To achieve environmental sustainability in the building sec-

tor, architects must be educated about environmental issues
during their professional training. Faculty have to foster
environmental awareness, introduce students to environmental
ethics, and developing their skills and knowledge-base in
sustainable design.

The current status of sustainable design in architecture is that

of an ethic rather than a science. While a change of lifestyles
and attitudes toward the local and global environments is
important, the development of scientific knowledge-bases
that provide skills, techniques, and methods of implementing
specific environmental design goals is urgent.

To enhance environmental sustainability, a building must

holistically balance and integrate all three principles —
Sustainable Design, Economy of Resources, and Life Cycle
Design — in design, construction, operation and maintenance,
and recycling and reuse of architectural resources. These
principles comprise a conceptual framework for sustainable
architectural design. This framework is intended to help
designers seek solutions rather than giving them a set of
solutions. Specific design solutions compatible with a given
design problem will emanate from these principles.

Introduction to Sustainable Design December 1998 Sustainable Design • 15

 Methods for Achieving Sustainable Design
The ultimate goal and challenge of sustainable design is to
find win-win solutions that provide quantitative, qualitative,
physical, and psychological benefits to building users. There
are many possibilities for achieving this seemingly difficult
goal. The three principles of sustainable design — economy
of resources, life cycle design, and humane design — provide
a broad awareness of the environment issues associated with
architecture. The strategies within each principle focus on
more specific topics. These strategies are intended to foster
an understanding of how a building interacts with the internal,
local, and global environments. This section discusses methods
for applying sustainable design to architecture.

Economy of Resources

Conserving energy, water, and materials can yield specific

design methods that will improve the sustainability of archi-
tecture (see Figure 8). These methods can be classified as
two types.

1) Input-reduction methods reduce the flow of nonrenewable

resources input to buildings. A building’s resource
demands are directly related its efficiency in utilizing
resources.

2) Output-management methods reduce environmental

pollution by requiring a low level of waste and proper
waste management.

Energy Conservation
Energy conservation is an input-reduction method. The main
goal is to reduce consumption of fossil fuels. Buildings con-
sume energy not only in their operation, for heating, lighting
and cooling, but also in their construction. The materials
used in architecture must be harvested, processed, and trans-
ported to the building site. Construction itself often requires
large amounts of energy for processes ranging from moving
earth to welding.

Energy-Conscious Urban Planning

Cities and neighborhoods that are energy-conscious are not
planned around the automobile, but around public transpor-
tation and pedestrian walkways. These cities have zoning
laws favorable to mixed-use developments, allowing people

16 • Sustainable Design December 1998 Introduction to Sustainable Design

to live near their workplaces. Urban sprawl is avoided by
encouraging redevelopment of existing sites and the adaptive
reuse of old buildings. Climatic conditions determine orienta-
tion and clustering. For example, a very cold or very hot and
dry climate might require buildings sharing walls to reduce
exposed surface area; a hot, humid climate would require
widely spaced structures to maximize natural ventilation.

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND POLLUTION PREVENTION Figure 9: “Economy of Resources”

methods of application.
Principle 1:

Economy of Resources

Strategies

Energy Water Material

Conservation Conservation Conservation

Methods

Energy-conscious Reduction: Material-

urban planning conserving
- Indigenous design and
Energy-conscious landscaping construction
site planning
- Low-flow Proper sizing of
Alternative showerheads building systems
sources of energy
- Vacuum-assist Rehabilitation of
Passive heating toilets or smaller existing structures
and cooling toilet tanks
Use of reclaimed
Avoidance of heat Reuse: or recycled
gain or heat loss materials and
- Rainwater components
Use of low- collection
embodied-energy Use of non-
materials - Graywater conventional
collection building materials
Use of energy-
efficient
appliances with
timing devices

Introduction to Sustainable Design December 1998 Sustainable Design • 17

 Energy-Conscious Site Planning
Such planning allows the designer to maximize the use of
natural resources on the site. In temperate climates, open
southern exposure will encourage passive solar heating;
deciduous trees provide shade in summer and solar heat gain
in winter. Evergreens planted on the north of a building will
protect it from winter winds, improving its energy efficiency.
Buildings can be located relative to water onsite to provide
natural cooling in summer.

Passive Heating and Cooling

Solar radiation incident on building surfaces is the most sig-
nificant energy input to buildings. It provides heat, light, and
ultraviolet radiation necessary for photosynthesis. Historically,
architects have devised building forms that provide shading
in summer and retain heat in winter. This basic requirement
is often overlooked in modern building design. Passive solar
architecture offers design schemes to control the flow of solar
radiation using building structure, so that it may be utilized
at a more desirable time of day.

Shading in summer, by plants or overhangs, prevents summer

heat gain and the accompanying costs of air-conditioning.
The wind, or the flow of air, provides two major benefits:
cooling and hygienic effects. Prevailing winds have long
been a major factor in urban design. For instance, proposals
for Roman city layouts were primarily based on the direction
of prevailing winds.

Insulation
High-performance windows and wall insulation prevent
both heat gain and loss. Reducing such heat transfer reduces
the building’s heating and cooling loads and thus its energy
consumption. Reduced heating and cooling loads require
smaller HVAC equipment, and the initial investment need
for the equipment will be smaller.

Aside from these tangible benefits, high-performance windows

and wall insulation create more comfortable thermal environ-
ments. Due to the insulating properties of the materials, the
surface temperatures of windows and walls will be higher in
the winter and lower in the summer. The installation of
smaller HVAC equipment reduces mechanical noise and
increases sonic quality of the indoor space.

18 • Sustainable Design December 1998 Introduction to Sustainable Design

Alternate Sources of Energy
Solar, wind, water, and geothermal energy systems are all
commercially available to reduce or eliminate the need for
external energy sources. Electrical and heating requirements
can be met by these systems, or combination of systems, in all
climates.

Daylighting
Building and window design that utilizes natural light will
lead to conserving electrical lighting energy, shaving peak
electric loads, and reducing cooling energy consumptions.
At the same time, daylighting increases the luminous quality
of indoor environments, enhancing the psychological well-
being and productivity of indoor occupants. These qualitative
benefits of daylighting can be far more significant than its
energy-savings potential.

Energy-Efficient Equipment & Appliances

After construction costs, a building’s greatest expense is the
cost of operation. Operation costs can even exceed construction
costs over a building’s lifetime. Careful selection of high-
efficiency heating, cooling, and ventilation systems becomes
critical. The initial price of this equipment may be higher
than that of less efficient equipment, but this will be offset
by future savings.

Appliances, from refrigerators to computers, not only consume

energy, they also give off heat as a result of the inefficient use
of electricity. More efficient appliances reduce the costs of
electricity and air-conditioning. The U. S. Environmental
Protection Agency has developed the “Energy Star” program
to assist consumers in identifying energy efficient electronic
equipment.

Choose Materials with Low Embodied Energy

Building materials vary with respect to how much energy is
needed to produce them. The embodied energy of a material
attempts to measure the energy that goes into the entire life
cycle of building material. For instance, aluminium has a
very high embodied energy because of the large amount of
electricity that must be used to manufacture it from mined
bauxite ore; recycled aluminum requires far less energy to
refabricate. By choosing materials with low embodied energy,
the overall environmental impact of a building is reduced.
Using local materials over imported materials of the same
type will save transportation energy.

Introduction to Sustainable Design December 1998 Sustainable Design • 19

 Water Conservation
Methods for water conservation may reduce input, output, or
both. This is because, conventionally, the water that is supplied
to a building and the water that leaves the building as sewage
is all treated by municipal water treatment plants. Therefore,
a reduction in use also produces a reduction in waste.

Reuse Water Onsite

Water consumed in buildings can be classified as two types:
graywater and sewage. Graywater is produced by activities
such as handwashing. While it is not of drinking-water quality,
it does not need to be treated as nearly as intensively as sewage.
In fact, it can be recycled within a building, perhaps to irrigate
ornamental plants or flush toilets. Well-planned plumbing
systems facilitate such reuse.

In most parts of the world, rainwater falling on buildings has

not been considered a useful resource. Buildings are typically
designed to keep the rain from the occupants, and the idea of
utilizing rain water falling on building surfaces has not been
widely explored. Building envelopes, particularly roofs, can
become rainwater collecting devices, in combination with
cisterns to hold collected water. This water can be used for
irrigation or toilet-flushing.

Reduce Consumption
Water supply systems and fixtures can be selected to reduce
consumption and waste. Low-flow faucets and small toilet
tanks are now required by code in many areas of the country.
Vacuum-assisted and biocomposting toilets further reduce
water consumption. Biocomposting toilets, available on both
residential and commercial scales, treat sewage on site, elimi-
nating the need for energy-intensive municipal treatment.

Indigenous landscaping — using plants native to the local

ecosystem — will also reduce water consumption. These
plants will have adapted to the local rainfall levels, eliminating
the need for additional watering. Where watering is needed,
the sprinkler heads should be carefully placed and adjusted
to avoid watering the sidewalk and street.

20 • Sustainable Design December 1998 Introduction to Sustainable Design

Materials Conservation
The production and consumption of building materials has
diverse implications on the local and global environments.
Extraction, processing, manufacturing, and transporting
building materials all cause ecological damage to some extent.
There are input and output reduction methods for materials
conservation. As with water, some of these methods overlap.

Adapt Existing Buildings to New Uses

One of the most straightforward and effective methods for
material conservation is to make use of the resources that
already exist in the form of buildings. Most buildings outlive
the purpose for which they were designed. Many, if not all,
of these buildings can be converted to new uses at a lower
cost than brand-new construction.

Incorporate Reclaimed or Recycled Materials

Buildings that have to be demolished should become the
resources for new buildings. Many building materials, such
as wood, steel, and glass, are easily recycled into new materials.
Some, like brick or windows, can be used whole in the new
structure. Furnishing, particularly office partition systems,
are also easily moved from one location to another.

Use Materials That Can Be Recycled

During the process of designing the building and selecting
the building materials, look for ways to use materials that can
themselves be recycled. This preserves the energy embodied
in their manufacture.

Size Buildings and Systems Properly

A building that is oversized for its designed purpose, or has
oversized systems, will excessively consume materials. When
a building is too large or small for the number of people it
must contain, its heating, cooling, and ventilation systems,
typically sized by square footage, will be inadequate or ineffi-
cient. This method relates directly to the programming and
design phases of the architectural process. The client’s present
and future space needs must be carefully studied to ensure
that the resulting building and systems are sized correctly.

Architects are encouraged to design around standardized

building material sizes as much as possible. In the U. S., this
standard is based on a 4'x8' sheet of plywood. Excess trimming
of materials to fit non-modular spaces generates more waste.

Introduction to Sustainable Design December 1998 Sustainable Design • 21

 Reuse Non-Conventional Products as Building Materials
Building materials from unconventional sources, such as
recycled tires, pop bottles, and agricultural waste, are readily
available. These products reduce the need for new landfills
and have a lower embodied energy that the conventional
materials they are designed to replace.

Consumer Goods
All consumer goods eventually lose their original usefulness.
The “useful life” quantifies the time of conversion from the
useful stage to the loss of original usefulness stage. For in-
stance, a daily newspaper is useful only for one day, a phone
book is useful for one year, and a dictionary might be useful
for 10 years. The shorter the useful life of consumer goods,
the greater the volume of useless goods will result. Conse-
quently, more architectural considerations will be required
for the recycling of short-life consumer goods.

The conventional term for consumer goods that have lost

their original usefulness is waste. But waste is or can be a
resource for another use. Therefore, in lieu of waste, it is
better to use the term “recyclable materials.” One way
buildings can encourage recycling is to incorporate facilities
such as on-site sorting bins.

Life Cycle Design

As discussed earlier, the Life Cycle Design principle embodies

three strategies: pre-building, building, and post-building.
These strategies, in turn, can yield specific design methods
that will improve the sustainability of architecture. Figure 10
shows how each method relates to the main strategies of Life
Cycle Design. These methods focus mainly on reducing in-
put. Consuming fewer materials lessens the environmental
impact of the associated manufacturing processes. This then
reduces the eventual output of the building ecosystem.

Pre-Building Phase
During the Pre-Building Phase, the design of a building and
materials selected for it are examined for their environmental
impact. The selection of materials is particularly important at
this stage: the impact of materials processing can be global
and have long-term consequences.

22 • Sustainable Design December 1998 Introduction to Sustainable Design

 SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND POLLUTION PREVENTION Figure 10: “Life Cycle Design”
methods of application.
Principle 2:

Life Cycle Design

Strategies

Pre-Building Building Post-Building

Methods

Use materials that Schedule con- Adapt existing

are ... struction to structures to
minimize site new users and
- made of renew- impact. programs.
able resources
- harvested or Provide waste- Reuse building
extracted with- separation components and
out ecological facilities. materials.
damage
Use nontoxic Recycle building
- recycled materials to components and
protect construc- materials.
- recyclable
tion workers as
- long-lasting and well as end users. Reuse the land
low maintenance and existing
Specify regular infrastructure.
Minimize energy maintenance with
needed to distrib- nontoxic cleaners.
ute materials.

Use Materials Made From Renewable Resources

Renewable resources are those that can be grown or harvested
at a rate that exceeds the rate of human consumption. Using
these materials is, by definition, sustainable. Materials made
from nonrenewable materials (petroleum, metals, etc.) are,
ultimately, not sustainable, even if current supplies are
adequate. Using renewable materials wherever possible
reduces the need for nonrenewable materials.

Introduction to Sustainable Design December 1998 Sustainable Design • 23

 Use Materials Harvested or Extracted Without Causing Ecological Damage
Of the renewable materials available, not all can be obtained
without significant environmental effects. Therefore, the
architect must be aware of how various raw materials are
harvested and understand the local and global ramifications.

Use Recycled Materials

Using recycle materials reduces waste and saves scarce land-
fill space. Recycled materials also preserve the embodied
energy of their original form, which would otherwise be
wasted. This also reduces the consumption of materials
made from virgin natural resources. Many building materials,
particularly steel, are easily recycled, eliminating the need
for more mining and milling operations.

Use Materials with Long Life and Low Maintenance

Durable materials last longer and require less maintenance
with harsh cleansers. This reduces the consumption of raw
materials needed to make replacements and the amount of
landfill space taken by discarded products. It also means
occupants receive less exposure to irritating chemicals used
in the installation and maintenance of materials.

Building Phase
The methods associated with the Building Phase strategy are
concerned with the environmental impact of actual construc-
tion and operation processes.

Minimize Site Impact

Careful planning can minimize invasion of heavy equipment
and the accompanying ecosystem damage to the site. Excava-
tions should not alter the flow of groundwater through the
site. Finished structures should respect site topology and
existing drainage. Trees and vegetation should only be
removed when absolutely necessary for access. For sensitive
sites, materials that can be hand-carried to the site reduce the
need for excessive road-building and heavy trucks.

Employ Nontoxic Materials

The use of nontoxic materials is vital to the health of the
building’s occupants, who typically spend more than three-
quarters of their time indoors. Adhesives used to make many
common building materials can outgas — release volatile
organic compounds into the air — for years after the original
construction. Maintenance with nontoxic cleansers is also

24 • Sustainable Design December 1998 Introduction to Sustainable Design

important, as the cleaners are often airborne and stay within a
building’s ventilation system for an extended period of time.

Post-Building Phase
During this phase, the architect examines the environmental
consequences of structures that have outlived their usefulness.
At this point, there are three possibilities in a building’s future:
reuse, recycling of components, and disposal. Reuse and
recycling allow a building to become a resource for new
buildings or consumer goods; disposal requires incineration
or landfill dumping, contributing to an already overburdened
waste stream.

Reuse the Building

The embodied energy of a building is considerable. It includes
not only the sum of energy embodied in the materials, but
also the energy that went into the building’s construction. If
the building can be adapted to new uses, this energy will be
conserved. Where complete reuse of a building is not possible,
individual components can be selected for reuse — windows,
doors, bricks, and interior fixtures are all excellent candidates.

Recycle Materials
Recycling materials from a building can often be difficult due
to the difficulty in separating different substances from one
another. Some materials, like glass and aluminum, must be
scavenged from the building by hand. Steel can easily be
separated from rubble by magnets. Concrete can be crushed
and used as aggregate in new pours.

Reuse Existing Buildings and Infrastructure

It has become common for new suburbs to move farther and
farther from the core city as people search for “space” and
“nature.” Of course, the development of new suburbs from
virgin woods or fertile agricultural fields destroys the very
qualities these suburbanites are seeking. Moreover, in addition
to the materials for new houses, new development requires
massive investments in material for roads, sewers, and the
businesses that inevitability follow. Meanwhile, vacant land
and abandoned structures in the city, with its existing infra-
structure, go unused, materials wasted.

Introduction to Sustainable Design December 1998 Sustainable Design • 25

 Figure 11: “Humane Design” SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND POLLUTION PREVENTION
methods of application.
Principle 3:

Humane Design

Strategies

Preservation of Urban Design Design for

Nat’l Conditions Site Planning Human Comfort

Understand the Avoid pollution Provide thermal,

impact of design contribution visual, and
on nature acoustic comfort
Promote mixed-
Respect topo- use development Provide visual
graphical contours connection to
Create pedestrian exterior
Do not disturb pockets
the water table Provide operable
Provide for windows
Preserve existing human-powered
flora and fauna transportation Provide clean,
fresh air
Integrate design
with public Accomodate
transportation persons with
differing physical
abilities

Use nontoxic,
non-outgassing
materials

26 • Sustainable Design December 1998 Introduction to Sustainable Design

Humane Design

As described in the introduction, this principle embodies

three strategies: preservation of natural conditions, urban
design and site planning, and design for human comfort.
These strategies, in turn, yield specific design methods that will
improve the sustainability of architecture. Figure 11 shows
how each method relates to the three strategies of Humane
Design. These methods focus primarily on improving the
quality of life for humans and other species.

Preservation of Natural Conditions

Respect Topographical Contours
The existing contours of a site should be respected. Radical
terraforming is not only expensive but devastating to the
site’s microclimate. Alteration of contours will affect how
water drains and how wind moves through a site.

Do Not Disturb the Water Table

Select sites and building designs that do not require excavation
below the local water table. Placing a large obstruction (the
building) into the water table will disturb natural hydraulic
process. If the water table is exposed during construction, it
will also become more susceptible to contamination from
polluted surface runoff.

Preserve Existing Flora and Fauna

Local wildlife and vegetation should be recognized as part of
the building site. When treated as resources to be conserved
rather than as obstacle to be overcome, native plants and ani-
mals will make the finished building a more enjoyable space
for human habitation.

Urban Design and Site Planning

The methods associated with the Urban Design and Site
Planning strategy apply sustainability at a scale larger than
the individual building.

Integrate Design with Public Transportation

Sustainable architecture on an urban scale must be designed
to promote public transportation. Thousands of individual
vehicles moving in and out of area with the daily commute
create smog, congest traffic, and require parking spaces.

Introduction to Sustainable Design December 1998 Sustainable Design • 27

 Promote Mixed Use Development
Sustainable development encourages the mixing of residential,
commercial, office and retail space. People then have the
option of living near where they work and shop. This provides
a greater sense of community than conventional suburbs.
The potential for 24-hour activity also makes an area safer.

Design for Human Comfort

Provide Thermal, Visual, and Acoustic Comfort
People do not perform well in spaces that are too hot or too
cold. Proper lighting, appropriate to each task, is essential.
Background noise from equipment or people can be distracting
and damage occupants’ hearing. Acoustic and visual privacy
also need to be considered.

Provide Visual Connection to Exterior

The light in the sky changes throughout the day, as the sun
and clouds move across the sky. Humans all have an internal
clock that is synchronized to the cycle of day and night.
From a psychological and physiological standpoint, windows
and skylights are essential means of keeping the body clock
working properly,

Provide Operable Windows

Operable windows are necessary so that building occupants
can have some degree of control over the temperature and
ventilation in their workspace.

Provide Fresh Clean Air

Fresh air through clean air ducts is vital to the well-being of
building occupants. The benefits of fresh air go beyond the
need for oxygen. Continuous recirculation of interior air
exposes people to concentrated levels of bacteria and
chemicals within the building.

Use Nontoxic, Non-Outgassing Materials

Long-term exposure to chemicals commonly used in building
materials and cleaners can have a detrimental effect on health.

Accommodate Persons with Differing Physical Abilities

One aspect of sustainable design is its longevity. Buildings
that are durable and adaptable are more sustainable than
those that are not. This adaptability includes welcoming
people of different ages and physical conditions. The more
people that can use a building, the longer the building’s
useful life.

28 • Sustainable Design December 1998 Introduction to Sustainable Design